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The North American Khaos 2011 Tour had a metal genre for everybody – black, thrash, nu, and melodic metal were all represented nicely.

CHTHONIC has gained quite an increase of popularity in the U.S. since their first go around at Ozzfest in 2007, and that notion was proven by the rabid crowd that showed up early giving full support to the “Orient metal” from the Far East. The band performed tracks mostly from the new album, Takasago Army, and new tracks like “Takao” and “Southern Cross” went over tremendously well in the live setting. Vocalist Freddy Lim owned the crowd with his enthusiastic charisma and wowed onlookers whenever he pulled out the er-hu to accentuate why CHTHONIC stands out as a unique band.Continue reading →

New Orleans, Louisiana’s GOATWHORE are confirmed to play the second stage of the Ozzfest summer tour alongside BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DROWNING POOL, KINGDOM OF SORROW, SKELETONWITCH, SAVIOURS, and KATAKLYSM. Ozzfest 2010 will kick off August 14 in San Bernardino, CA (the birthplace of the first Ozzfest in 1996).

The main stage will feature OZZY, MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB HALFORD, DEVILDRIVER and NONPOINT.

Grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH are set to make their triumphant return to North America at the end of the month joining up with DEVILDRIVER, WALLS OF JERICHO, 36 CRAZYFISTS and INVITRO for the â€œBound By The Roadâ€ tour. The massive six week plus trek kicks off on Feb. 27th and will mark the end of the Smear Campaign touring cycle.

Vocalist Barney Greenway states: â€œWith so many tours under the belt now, I am wary of rolling out the tired out â€˜it will be awesome to see you all againâ€™ stuff. But it will be, all the same. Shit, there I go. I really havenâ€™t had much room/time to breathe in any particular direction since we were last in the U.S. and here we are again preparing to come back with DEVILDRIVER. I think weâ€™ll be bringing back â€˜Greed Killingâ€™ and â€˜Necessary Evilâ€™ (well, thatâ€™s the plan at this point) and otherwise itâ€™s going to be breathless, fast, heavy and spontaneous.

â€œThe setlist will feature some Scum stuff to Smear Campaign and something of everything else â€“ all in a pleasant 45-minute package. Yummy! Otherwise, we are finally discussing and planning the nucleus of the next album. Donâ€™t have any finished songs yet and not really any lyrics that I want to mention â€“ in case they end up not being used. If this all sounds vague, it doesnâ€™t mean that we wonâ€™t have an album ready to go by August. We donâ€™t fuck around when the prospect of progress dawns. I did get a tiny sneak listen of one or two of Shaneâ€™s songs heâ€™s working on â€“ and they are crazy chaotic-fast-hardcore-mongous. I think we may also further develop the SWANS-esque/avant garde angle a little more too in places. We shall see and we hope to see you all soon.â€

Chances are that if you are in high school or close to that age range, youâ€™ve heard of DEVILDRIVER. And chances are even greater that you probably dig the band. Well, the band do not disappoint the fans of todayâ€™s mainstream metal generation. The Last Kind Words has all the pizzazz that sells records and fills the hearts of Hot Topic kids across the country: an interpretation of an American metalcore interpretation of Swedish melodic death metal, â€œguitar heroics,â€ blast beats, lots of other technical flash, and plenty of aggro. Itâ€™s obvious that the band listen to a lot of well-known underground metal and metalcore bands, as well as plenty of PANTERA, and are heavily influenced by them. However, the result of this inspiration comes out as a disfigured alien. The drums are very active and upfront in the mix but donâ€™t really add much value. Blast beats and accompanying riffs often sound awful. Flashy and forgettable guitar licks are recklessly thrown about. Acoustic guitars and keyboards make seemingly random appearances. Each song is different as the band tries to put a personal stamp on different bandsâ€™ styles they cop. Unfortunately, when the band puts their own flavor on and into things, it sounds pretty awful. DEVILDRIVER are so focused on creating an aggro album that doesnâ€™t relent that they lose sight of songwriting. There is little sense of timing, placement, and general dynamics. Itâ€™s a barrage of parts that often does not make sense. To top it all off, the giant U.S. flag on the back of vocalist Dez Fafaraâ€™s jacket on the back of the album just feels like an attempt to jump on the â€œright wingâ€ bandwagon in regards to the state of the world today. In the end, the stench of nu-trend riding and subsequent poor quality is too much to bear. As MANOWAR so perfectly put it: Death to false metal! (Roadrunner Records)

DEVILDRIVER has toiled endlessly to create a metallic masterpiece, partnering up with producer Jason Suecof. Marking their third Roadrunner release, The Last Kind Words focuses on structures and arrangement, painting a sinister yet palatable picture. DEVILDRIVER are currently on the road with DIMMU BORGIR, UNEARTH and KATAKLYSM until May 29th. DEVILDRIVER will then launch a month long European tour on June 1st and will also be attending the Metal Hammer awards in London on June 11th.

The Last Kind Words is set for release on July 31, 2007 and features 11 tracks of progression. â€œWe wanted to do something that was different than we did on the first two records, and would stand out,â€ frontman Dez Fafara declares. The Last Kind Words stands out and above, capturing DEVILDRIVERâ€™s unique fusion. The forthcoming album was mixed by famed producer, Andy Sneap. The band is also slated to film a music video for their first single, â€œNot All Who Wander Are Lost.â€

The European version of the three-track iTunes single will feature an exclusive instrumental version of “The Serpentine Offering” in place of the instrumental version of “The Heretic Hammer.”

DIMMU BORGIR‘s new full-length album, In Sorte Diaboli, will be released on April 24 in North America. The first concept album in the band’s history, In Sorte Diaboli is set in medieval Europe. A short synopsis of the story and its characters will accompany the lyrics in the CD booklet.

The album was mixed at Studio Fredman by producers Fredrik NordstrÃ¶m and Patrik J. Sten. DIMMU BORGIR recorded the effort with Hellhammer on drums.

In related news, the band will head out for a U.S. tour with UNEARTH, KATAKLYSM, and DEVILDRIVER.

Songwriter/guitarist Silenoz writes in from Norway to comment on the tour: “It’s been too long… The wait is over – FINALLY! It is with great anticipation we look forward to start, for once, a World Tour on North American soil! We’re excited to have UNEARTH, DEVILDRIVER and KATAKLYSM on this diabolic ride and can’t wait to meet all our loyal fans and friends old and new once again. Come join us in The Invaluable Darkness!”